"Gal" Friday! Julianna Guill

Julianna Guill is best known for her role as Bree in Friday the 13th (2009) and Scarlet Haukkson on the webisode series My Alibi. She also co-starred in the TBS series Glory Daze as Christie. I chose her as this weeks "Gal" Friday selection for three reasons.
Like myself, Julianna is a native North Carolinian, and you've simply gotta support the home team. She is also in the process of amassing a neat genre acting resume with roles in My Super Psycho Sweet 16, Altitude, the aforementioned Friday the 13th and the upcoming The Apparition.

Finally, she's very cute, trim and blessed with a super-fine rack (which is on full display in that 2009 re-do) that foolishly inserted Jason Voorhees as the actual Camp Crystal Lake killer, breaking with the original Friday the 13th (the original is much superior, by the way).

Be careful out there today!

The Ron Frenz Gallery!

Ron Frenz has a history of working on books where the lead characters were not in their original costumes/identities. Spider-Man wore his black costume during his tenure, Thor took on a new secret identity and look, and Superman changed costumes AND powers all while Frenz was the regular artist on their titles. He is well-known for his 1980s work on Amazing Spider-Man, and more recently, for his work on Spider-Girl (who he co-created with writer Tom DeFalco).

These commission samples of his from Catskill Comics show that he has a flair for classic DC characters in their standard costumes too.

Enjoy!

Jann of the Jungle in "Rampage!" (Marvel;1973)

Here is the classic introduction & origin of Jann of the Jungle (aka Jane Hastings) from Jungle Tales #1 (Marvel/Atlas; Sept. 1954). "Rampage!" was written by Don Rico and illustrated by Art Petty, but this story was reprinted in Jungle Action #3 (Feb. 1973); which is the source of these scans. The cool bonus cover is by Jim Starlin and Frank Giacoia.

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: the copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes.

Enjoy!

Camilla in "The Flame Queen and the Witchman" (Fiction House;?)

Bear with me this week folks, I didn't post any comic book stories last week, so I'm going to make up for that with golden age classics today, tomorrow and Thursday. I want to review my favorite Free Comic Book Day issues on Wednesday; and then close out the week with my usual "Gal" Friday post before heading to West Virginia for a few days to enjoy my oldest daughters college graduation.

This Camilla story is a bit of a mystery, since neither Mr. Falkos or I know where it was originally printed. Therefore there are no creator credits either. It looks pretty good, and at four pages, it's a short read (part of the reason why you're getting an "extra" story this week). The lack of an official title allowed me to select one of my own, "The Flame Queen and the Witchman", for inclusion in the Catacombs archives.

The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

FCBD 2011 Photo Report!!

I spent a sunny & fun Free Comic Book Day in Charlotte, North Carolina with my brother David, my young nephews Jack and Sam, and our loyal buddy, Burt Dellinger at the "Heroes Aren't Hard To Find" shop. We love going to Shelton Drum's place for FCBD, since they allow every customer a copy of every freebie that is available, plus they bring in guests to draw free sketches for attendees. This years contingent included Budd Root, Andy Smith, Cully Hamner, Bridgit Scheide, Ian Flynn, Rico Renzi, Chris Brunner, Sanford Greene, Jason Latour, Laura Martin, Brian Stelfreeze and Matt Wilson.

Proving that the universe is fickle, as I rapidly approach my 50th year, it always astonishes me that so many young nerds, geeks and dweebs show up with smoking hot girlfriends who are seemingly "into" the comics hobby. That kinda shit just didn't happen back in my day. Sniff!

Although there were also many little boys and girls wearing typical genre costumes (Spidey, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman), this years adult cos-players were almost non-existent. A pair of overweight Carolina Ghosbusters were on scene with a fully-functional "Exto-1" vehicle, complete with sound effects. A bonus spillover feature that helped salvage the day, was the neighboring Starbucks, where lots-o sexy lady joggers and yuppies continuously came and went; gotta have some eye-candy to appreciate when you're single and needy.

The discount comics boxes drew quite the crowd, let me tell you. I managed to pull almost one hundred excellent comics from the $.25 boxes, and that was just on one side of the aisle, since unfortunately I became wedged between two large ladies who apparently didn't understand simple hygiene. Sort of lost the desire to continue the treasure hunt after that, if you know what I mean. Lunch at the nearby Fuel Pizza (the best pie ever) helped me recover from the free-floating vapors those mammoth chicks were giving off. I could say more, but I realize that I'm getting snarky, so please enjoy my FCBD 2011 Photo Report.

"Gal" Friday! (In Memorium) Yvette Vickers

B-move actress, Yvette Vickers is primarily known for two roles in schlocky horror films of the late 1950’s, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and Attack of the Giant Leeches. She enjoyed a much longer run on television as a guest star on numerous TV series between the 1950’s and 1970’s, after which she largely disappeared. As a model, Yvette was photographed by director Russ Meyer and became the July 1959 Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine. Her centerfold is a thing of beauty! Those were the days when Hefner’s bunnies mostly showed a bit of side boob and lots of butt. Yvette’s centerfold shows her belly down on a couch with no pants on, revealing her spectacular bottom, and gazing at the viewer with a true come-hither expression on her rather pixieish face. Seek it out on the web and like me, you too will really envy the lucky guys who got to snack on this babe. Her other cheesecake photos are beyond awesome too and I encourage you to seek them out.

Sadly, Yvette Vickers made belated headlines this week when it was reported that her mummified body had been discovered last week by a nosy neighbor who had become concerned over her extended absence, noting that her yellowing mail was nestled within cobwebs outside her decades old Los Angeles home. The county coroner was uncertain over how long Ms. Vickers had actually been dead, perhaps weeks, months or even a year.

Although Yvette inadvertently made a final splash in becoming yet another tragic Hollywood story for the media and fans to ponder, as an actress, singer and pin-up queen, she is definitely worth remembering. The Catacombs extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and fans.

In Memorium: Jackie Cooper

Actor, director and producer Jackie Cooper spent most of his life in front of or behind the camera. He was one of the rare child actors who managed to make the transition to an adult career. He is also the youngest performer to have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, an honor that he received for the film Skippy in (1931) at the age of nine. Producer Hal Roach had received $25,000 from Paramount Studios for loaning them Cooper's services, although he only paid Cooper his standard Roach salary of $50 per week.

Cooper had first joined Roach’s “Our Gang” cast in the short Boxing Gloves in 1929, originally signed to a three year contract. He was initially only a supporting character in the series, but by early 1930 he had done so well with the transition that he had become one of the Gang's major characters. He was the main character in the episodes The First Seven Years, When the Wind Blows, and many others. His most notable Our Gang shorts explored his crush on Miss Crabtree, the schoolteacher played by June Marlowe, which included the trilogy of shorts Teacher's Pet, School's Out, and Love Business.

He famously portrayed The Daily Planet editor Perry White in all four Christopher Reeve Superman films. Jackie Cooper passed away on May 3, 2011 in Santa Monica, California, at the age of eighty-eight. The Catacombs extends its sincerest condolences to his family, friends and fans.

Beware My Power .... June 17, 2011

Look Behind you, Barnabas - Your Journey Is At An End!

Hermes Press continues its archival reprint series of the classic Dark Shadows comic book with Dark Shadows-The Complete Original Series: Volume Two. Reprinting Dark Shadows #8-14; originally published by Gold Key Comics, Volume Two continues the bronze age adventures of vampire/anti-hero Barnabas Collins on his quest to remove his dark curse and to restore order to the Collinwood estate. Along the way, he also has to deal with the lycanthropic Quentin Collins, as well as a threat from his own immortal past.

Written by both Donald Arneson and Arnold Drake (Doom Patrol, Deadman), Dark Shadows was drawn by Joe Certa & Jack Sparling. Volume Two features masterfully painted covers by George Wilson, giving the series a timeless pulp look. The hardcover book with 224 pages retails for $49.99. Trivia: The quote (above) is the cover blurb from the original George Wilson cover of Dark Shadows #11 (Nov.1971).

As director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp continue to develop their Dark Shadows feature film, you can experience the 1970s Dark Shadows series in digitally remastered full-color that is of a higher quality than the original comic book's printing. Hermes Press continues to be haunted by Barnabas Collins and his supernatural ilk, as they gear up for future volumes of Dark Shadows. Thanks to Chris Irving for the heads up!

In Memorium: William Campbell

Although he appeared in many episodic television series, actor William Campbell achieved true cult status for his two guest-starring roles on the original Star Trek, appearing first as the mischievous super-being Trelane (partly in parody of Liberace, whom Campbell resembled), in an episode of the original series called "The Squire of Gothos". Campbell also appeared three times as the Klingon, Captain Koloth. Campbell first played Koloth on the original Star Trek series in the classic episode "The Trouble With Tribbles." He reprised the role of Koloth on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, some thirty years later. Campbell appeared at several Trek conventions in the 1980s and 1990s. His final such appearance occurred in 2006. He passed away from natural causes on Thursday at the age of eighty-seven.

His roles on the big screen opposite such notables as John Wayne, Kirk Douglas and Elvis Presley include Operation Pacific, Escape from Fort Bravo, The High and the Mighty, Battle Cry, Man Without a Star, Love Me Tender, The Naked and the Dead, Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte and Pretty Maids All in a Row.

The Catacombs extends its sincerest condolences to his family, friends and fans.

Anaglyph Theatre Presents: Danny Dreams (St. John;1953)

Yes. I'm a day late. It was so nice outside yesterday that I got up early and enjoyed the weather, at least until the spring headache kicked in and encouraged me to cease worrying about anything other than pills. "Danny Dreams" is the final funtastic tale from Tor #2a [3D] (aka 3-D Comics), originally published by St. John in October 1953 and with artwork by Joe Kubert. You can retire those 3-D specs after today, and thanks for stopping by during the brief run of Anaglyph Theatre. The Catacombs is grateful to Don "Zu-Gogo" Falkos for providing the scans for this story. Note: The copyright for this issue, its contents and artwork belong to the original publisher and/or creators and is reproduced here solely for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

"Gals" Friday! The Girls of Fast Five

I caught the midnight showing of "Fast Five" last night and only managed a power nap before heading to work early this morning. The film is the fifth entry in the blockbuster street racing, action-adventure film series starring Vin Diesel as Dominic Torreto and Paul Walker as Brian O'Connor.

The latest sequel is basically a love letter to fans of the popular franchise, bringing virtually every character from all previous series films together in one stunningly cool international adventure, that also competently takes the whole premise into an entirely different direction for the next film. And there will be another one! DO NOT LEAVE THE THEATER UNTIL AFTER THE CREDITS ROLL. There is an awesome "Easter egg" scene that will knock your socks off!

Joining Diesel & Walker are Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang reprising their earlier roles and Dwayne Johnson is introduced as Luke Hobbs, a hardcore federal officer tasked with bringing them all to justice. These guys have great chemistry as a group, and nobody gets the shaft in screen time. That itself is a hell of an accomplishment for director Justin Lin, but the whole package is also greater than the sum of its parts, and the parts aren't too shabby to begin with.

Check out the trio of lovelies (above; top) who are on hand for the wow factor. Jordana Brewster returns as Mia Torreto (Dominic's younger sister and Brian's love interest), Gal Gadot as Gisele (former liaison for drug lord Arturo Braga in Fast Four, newly recruited to Dominic's crew) and Elsa Pataky is introduced as Elena Neves (a Rio police officer personally requested by Hobbs to help him and his team capture Dominic's crew). Drool gentlemen, and others, it's expected! Go see Fast Five too. It is one of the best films of the year, and a great start to the summer movie season.